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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — of water
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stem — to come from
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cell — in biology
  13. current — electric
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com